-WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY?
-Solar energy is radiant energy produced by the sun
-The sun radiates more energy in a second than people have used since the beginning of time. However, it takes millions of years for this energy to make it to Earth, and a lot of it is lost along the way. Even by losing some energy, a surplus amount still makes it to Earth
PROS AND CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY:
PROS:
-Solar panels give off no pollution (the only pollution produced as a result of solar panels is the manufacturing of these devices in factories, transportation, and installation
-Solar energy produces electricity very quietly (the production of energy from fossil fuels and some renewable fuels like wind can be noisy)
-Ability to obtain electricity in remote locations not linked to the national power grid, which is usually much more cost effective than laying the required high voltage wires (like in space where satellites are powered by solar cells)
-Can be very efficient in most of the world, and new technologies are increasing the efficiency on overcast days
-Solar panels can be installed on top of many rooftops (eliminates the problem of finding space for solar panels)
-Saves you money-after the initial high cost of the solar panels, they then provide a free source of electricity, which in the long run pay off. You can build a solar panel for as little as $200
-Some states, including California, condone using solar panels, and even let you sell back extra energy you've produced during the day, sell it back to the power company, and basically receive free energy for that night
-Using solar energy to produce electricity allows the user to become less dependent on the world's fossil fuel supplies
-Less consumption-because it requires no fuel, you will save money on the cost of gasoline
-The U.S. government offers a tax break of up to $2,000, depending on state
-Manufacturers of solar panels are offering warranties of 20 years and more, making solar panels nearly maintenance free
-They're sustainable and renewable: fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) are non-renewable and are running out...solar energy will never run out
-You can build energy credits- if your solar system produces more energy than you use, you can sell it back to your power company, or trade for night energy
-Minimal affects on the environment compared to other energy sources
This graph shows that out of all of our energy suppliers in the U.S., we are using about 1% of renewable energy (solar is renewable). SO why are we using so little if it's so much better for our environment? Well, look at the cons...
CONS:
-To power a medium sized house, it can cost around $25,000-expensive (using petroleum would cost ~230$ per month)
-We only have ability to use solar energy during hours of daylight (there are ways that we have found to store the energy produced by the panels, this is how solar powered flashlights work) -Depending on cloud coverage, effectiveness of solar energy can be inconsistent
-The business and industry worlds would struggle to produce solar panels in major cities due to pollution (if this becomes popular, solar panels will just be one more thing that is causing factories to be built to hurt the environment)
-Solar panels are large in number and size therefore they take up a lot of space (could be difficult to find a spot for them)
-Getting these panels to the place where they will function will take some way of transportation, which is expensive and can also be bad for the environment
-Because of the dependance on the sun, finding a place to put the panels can be difficult
-Solar panels can be very fragile, if one breaks it is very expensive to purchase new panels
-It does take more effort to use solar energy than it does for other, more popular ways to produce energy. In other ways all that is required is money, with these panels one must be proactive and check on how the storage of energy is doing
-Solar energy is radiant energy produced by the sun
-The sun radiates more energy in a second than people have used since the beginning of time. However, it takes millions of years for this energy to make it to Earth, and a lot of it is lost along the way. Even by losing some energy, a surplus amount still makes it to Earth
PROS AND CONS OF SOLAR ENERGY:
PROS:
-Solar panels give off no pollution (the only pollution produced as a result of solar panels is the manufacturing of these devices in factories, transportation, and installation
-Solar energy produces electricity very quietly (the production of energy from fossil fuels and some renewable fuels like wind can be noisy)
-Ability to obtain electricity in remote locations not linked to the national power grid, which is usually much more cost effective than laying the required high voltage wires (like in space where satellites are powered by solar cells)
-Can be very efficient in most of the world, and new technologies are increasing the efficiency on overcast days
-Solar panels can be installed on top of many rooftops (eliminates the problem of finding space for solar panels)
-Saves you money-after the initial high cost of the solar panels, they then provide a free source of electricity, which in the long run pay off. You can build a solar panel for as little as $200
-Some states, including California, condone using solar panels, and even let you sell back extra energy you've produced during the day, sell it back to the power company, and basically receive free energy for that night
-Using solar energy to produce electricity allows the user to become less dependent on the world's fossil fuel supplies
-Less consumption-because it requires no fuel, you will save money on the cost of gasoline
-The U.S. government offers a tax break of up to $2,000, depending on state
-Manufacturers of solar panels are offering warranties of 20 years and more, making solar panels nearly maintenance free
-They're sustainable and renewable: fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) are non-renewable and are running out...solar energy will never run out
-You can build energy credits- if your solar system produces more energy than you use, you can sell it back to your power company, or trade for night energy
-Minimal affects on the environment compared to other energy sources
This graph shows that out of all of our energy suppliers in the U.S., we are using about 1% of renewable energy (solar is renewable). SO why are we using so little if it's so much better for our environment? Well, look at the cons...
CONS:
-To power a medium sized house, it can cost around $25,000-expensive (using petroleum would cost ~230$ per month)
-We only have ability to use solar energy during hours of daylight (there are ways that we have found to store the energy produced by the panels, this is how solar powered flashlights work)
-Depending on cloud coverage, effectiveness of solar energy can be inconsistent
-The business and industry worlds would struggle to produce solar panels in major cities due to pollution (if this becomes popular, solar panels will just be one more thing that is causing factories to be built to hurt the environment)
-Solar panels are large in number and size therefore they take up a lot of space (could be difficult to find a spot for them)
-Getting these panels to the place where they will function will take some way of transportation, which is expensive and can also be bad for the environment
-Because of the dependance on the sun, finding a place to put the panels can be difficult
-Solar panels can be very fragile, if one breaks it is very expensive to purchase new panels
-It does take more effort to use solar energy than it does for other, more popular ways to produce energy. In other ways all that is required is money, with these panels one must be proactive and check on how the storage of energy is doing
HOW DO SOLAR PANELS WORK?
Click HERE!
Bibliography:
http://www.clean-energy-ideas.com/articles/pros_and_cons_of_solar_energy.html
http://earth911.com/blog/2007/10/15/pros-and-cons-of-solar-power/http://www.aapg.org/slide_bank/green_will/full/energy_graphs_01.jpg
http://www.homesolarandwindinfo.com/solar-panel-cost/
http://www.sea.siemens.com/us/Industry_Solutions/RenewableEnergyTechnologies/Pages/Sales.aspx